Building innovative transportation solutions is hard. Building an innovation ecosystem that changes how the world moves is harder. We strive to do both well.

The best ideas don’t spring from a single person; they are often the outcome of collaboration and the open exchange of knowledge and experience. The iPhone would not have emerged as the world-changing technology it became without the partners who helped to sell the device and build the new wireless infrastructure to support it, in addition to the millions of software developers that made ‘there’s an app for that’ a household phrase.

The tech industry has nearly perfected the art of partnership. In fact, 86% of IT products and service worldwide are sold through partners according to IDC surveys. Industry leaders such as Google, Cisco, Microsoft, HP, Apple, Intel, and Amazon have built massive programs to nurture their partnerships, resulting in increased revenue and a faster pace of new product development and market growth.

Hyperloop One is taking a page from the IT industry and making a partner-centric approach core to our business strategy. Today, we are taking a major step on our path by introducing the Hyperloop One Partner Program. We believe that strong collaboration with the world’s leading transportation, manufacturing, and engineering companies is critical to building safe and reliable solutions, creating a rich passenger experience and introducing Hyperloop to the world faster than we could do it alone.

We are the only company actively building a full-scale Hyperloop system, the world’s first new mode of transportation to emerge in more than 100 years. Our partner program, created with the help of our existing partners, is also a first and will expand to include more forward-leaning firms as we change the way the world moves. Building innovative solutions is hard. Building an innovation ecosystem is harder. We strive to do both well.

Partners and the Hyperloop One Experience

We envision a future in which transportation is direct, on-demand, fast, and safe. Journeys that used to take hours should now take minutes. Passengers should enjoy high-quality services throughout the experience. Freight and cargo should move quickly and smoothly, eliminating waste and congestion along the entire supply chain.

Partners are crucial to make this future a reality. Our ecosystem will include firms that can help design the solution, influence transportation decision makers, consult on and scope a project, and build and operate a Hyperloop One solution, as well as firms that can provide data-driven services once a Hyperloop is operational.

“I’m absolutely confident that Hyperloop will change the world,” said Carol Desnost, director of Innovation and Research at France’s railway provider SNCF, an early partner of Hyperloop One. Leaders from our other partners, including AECOM, ARUP, Parsons, Systra, Bjarke Ingels Group, and Deutsche Bahn share our belief. A number of them have expressed why they believe Hyperloop One will be transformational in this video.

The Hyperloop Industry’s First Partner Program

Over the past several months, we have worked with our partners to understand what they need to address new Hyperloop One business opportunities. We heard three things consistently. Partners are eager to capture new revenue and be seen as industry pioneers by reimagining their existing business capabilities for Hyperloop One. However, to do so they need to build expertise in a new mode of transport and have tight alignment and a deeper understanding of our business and technical strategy. Our new partner program is designed to address these needs.

Most partner programs in the transportation industry are structured as sub-contracting, supplier, or affiliate relationships. Our scope is far wider: to create maximum value for both parties based on value contributed as equals. We will help partners build expertise in Hyperloop One technologies so they can extend their capabilities, capture new revenue streams, and benefit from being a pioneer in a brand-new mode of transportation.

The program will benefit our partners in four ways. First, it will help partners build expertise by providing inside access to our product direction, R&D, and software development, as well as provide training and certification in our Hyperloop One solutions. We’ll help partners increase revenue by developing their customer pipeline with joint business planning, best practice sharing, test site access, as well as sales, marketing, and technical support. Hyperloop One partners will also be able to build industry recognition with unique marketing opportunities and partner program branding. Finally, partners will influence Hyperloop One’s strategy through structured relationships and partner advisory boards.

To meet the diverse needs of our partner ecosystem the program will have four primary components, including:

Influencer program for thought leaders who want to evangelize a local transportation project

Consulting program for partners who want to extend their consulting capabilities to include Hyperloop One

Solutions program for partners who will build, operate, and provide services for Hyperloop One solution combined with third party solutions

Technology program for partners who have unique technology, products, and services to advance the development of the Hyperloop One solution

We’re looking for more expert partners. If your company is interested in working with us, watch this short video from Hyperloop One’s SVP Global Field Operations and Marketing Nick Earle regarding the principles of our partner program, and learn more about the program at our newly launched Hyperloop One Partner Portal.